Bird Feeders
by Extreme Touch
Summary: Ymir was always a good liar and manipulator. Krista Historia Ymir


"Barely," Krista's voice was shaky with fear. During a titan ambush, Ymir and her had become separated from their group. It took all their strength and wit to shake off their flesh-eating pursuers. Now, they were standing with barely their breath and lives.

"Tch," Ymir wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. She spat at the tree branch to rid her mouth from the taste of iron. Their uniforms were torn from the thick brush they sloppily crossed earlier. If they had more time, they could've easily reconvened with their team, but one solider fell under panic and the rest followed. It was chaotic. Maybe it was best they had been separated, or their comrades might've just gotten them killed.

"We need to find our group, or we're better dead." Ymir quickly went to assessing their situation. She doubted anyone survived, but would hold hope for Krista. She didn't want to have her to succumb to panic, too. Glancing around, Ymir quickly noticed they were on the outskirts of the forest. While they were safe in the boughs of the tree, it was only temporary. Hunger and infection would be their death if they didn't act fast.

"Yeah," Krista's voice was still strained. Ymir gave her a quick glance over. There were a few deep scratches on her arms and legs. While there was nothing life threatening, Ymir still felt a sense of urgency in their return. She could hear the screams and rumbles of skirmishing further in the forest. So, some had survived…

"I can hear them from over there," she knew Krista could barely hear over her own gasping. Krista immediately went silent to listen, too.

"They don't sound too close," Krista's voice was frail. Her whole body was heaving for air. She had a look of defeat in her eyes, but Ymir knew better. It was only human fear. Nothing more or less. Krista would prevail as long as Ymir made sure of it. Ymir glanced at the base of the trees to find a few small titans lulling around, attempting to reach them.

"It looks like we have normal giants, for now." Ymir crossed her arms. Most of the larger ones were taking bounty in their teammate's weaknesses. She didn't know the situation of their remaining team that was fighting beyond the thicket. If she could get some insight, she could easily tell if they were better off fending for themselves, or regrouping. But, Krista…what would she think of abandoning their team? It was highly unlikely.

"What do we do?" Krista was treating her wounds by ripping cloth from her uniform to wrap to prevent infection. It'd have to do for now. Krista glanced over at Ymir.  
"Ymir, you have a gash on your arm. Let's get it bandaged up," Krista had already torn another piece of cloth for Ymir. Krista kept intently staring at her. Ymir glanced away.

"Well, get over here then." Ymir growled. Krista gave a smile, wobbly making her way over to Ymir and patching her up.

"Do you have anything with you?" Ymir began to rummage through their small backpacks for supplies. While camping wasn't an option, they weren't in a position at the moment to make a choice. They were surrounded and the distant battle was still raging. The screams were growing fewer…Either victory or utter defeat.

"Oh, uh, I have a bottle of water, and…hey…where did my ration go?" Krista's eyes filled with panic as she tore through her bag. It was until she had felt the bottom did she notice the hole in the bottom of it.

"Should take better of your bag." Ymir sighed, taking out her last ration and eating it. Krista frowned, feeling her stomach protest, but didn't defend herself. She was starving now that they had time to sit and think. The attack was so fast when they were setting camp to eat…

"Here," Ymir threw the rest of the ration at Krista. It was almost untouched except for the ginger bite.

"Ymir, this is yours. You have it." Krista wasn't sure how to take the rare gift.

"No. I don't want it. I'm hungry but not hungry enough to eat this saw dust. I'll wait till we get back to the city to get my fill." Ymir growled. She didn't want to eat the poor excuse called food.

Krista felt a small smile come over her face as she took pieces from the ration and put it near Ymir's mouth.

"Here, we can share it!" Krista was attempting to make it sound like they were on a picnic. The shakiness in her hands and words said otherwise. Her sky blue eyes were searching for any hope to cling onto.

"I said I don't like it." Ymir shot. She had to think of a way to get them out of here. The last thing she wanted to be was like a bird feeder on a tree for the titans.  
"You still need to eat!" Krista pouted. Ymir gave a disapproving frown at Krista.

"Keep that up and I'll slap that food down to the titans," she gave a low warning. Krista withdrew the food in hesitation and decided not to test whether Ymir was bluffing. The forest grew silent after Krista had finished her ration. There were no sounds of the maneuvering equipment gas, or horses.

"Do you…do you think anyone is alive?" Krista's voice was barely a whisper. Her eyes were downcast as she played with the buckle of her belt. Ymir had thought of several plans in that time. Their best one was to wait a little longer until it was midday to see if anyone did survive. If that didn't happen, their chances were slimmer. They'd have to carefully preserve their gas to search for any horses that had bolted. They were their only best chance of survival.

_Or…_

Ymir shook her head. It was an option, but one she did not want to take. Krista was already drained. An emotional shock like that would put her over.  
"I don't know." Ymir gave Krista a truthful answer.

"How are we going to know if we sit here?" Krista shot Ymir a look. While she had hoped Krista would be obedient, she should've known.  
"No. We don't have the odds to go on our own search party." Ymir quickly retorted. Krista glared.

"What if someone is alive, Ymir? And they're sitting, hoping someone will find them?" Her smaller companion was getting in a fit. With the mix of exhaustion and fear, Ymir knew she wouldn't be able to persuade her any other way, but she had to try. For their survival.

"If someone is alive, sitting around, and hoping for prince charming to save them, they're in for a bad awakening." Ymir sat down on the branch, crossing her legs. She was getting irritated already. She could care less whose ass was titan chow. All she cared about was getting them out alive, not risking their hides for some sobbing brats.

"And what're we doing, Ymir? Waiting for prince charming, too?" Krista wasn't going to take Ymir's lack of compassion.

"No, we're waiting until the right moment, or to see if plan A is no longer a choice." Ymir was growing bored sitting around, waiting to see who was half-alive. She was also not enjoying being under Krista's critique.

"While the moment slips if to save someone?"

"Hey, we don't even—"  
"Wouldn't you want someone to search for me after that ambush?"

"No." Ymir glared at the sun in anger. Krista flinched.

"Ymir." Krista's eyes felt watery. Ymir sighed, standing up.

"I'd be the person to go after you. Anyone else would get their ass handed to them." It was close enough time to tell they were alone in the forest. If there were any teammates left, they'd have long fled back to the safety of the walls, or were all eaten by now.

"Let's go. There isn't anyone alive now." Ymir began to pack up what little they had with them into her own backpack.

"Ymir, the—"

"Krista, listen to yourself and then the forest. If anyone was here, we'd hear them if they were searching for us. They either left while they had the chance, or are long gone." Ymir didn't have time to watch Krista resist against her choices.

"We're leaving. I'll drag you if I have to, Krista."

Krista's eyes were watery at the thought of their squad, who she had been with for only a week, demolished. She was getting to know everyone. Even though death was always there, she couldn't help but grow a little closer to others. Ymir glanced over to see Krista's silent, sobbing form. She felt something of what was called her heart twinge.

"Hey, we tried. We had no choice but to dodge that incoming attack, getting separated. If we stayed it would've been suicide," Ymir spoke.

"If there was any other way to turn around and help, I would've told you. No use crying over it," she tore her eyes away from Krista. Seeing the smaller woman cry…well, it made her feel slightly bad for her.

"I know," Krista croaked.

"Now, let's get going, ok?" Ymir walked towards Krista. She threw Krista's ruined, empty backpack down to the titans. They wouldn't need that. It'd just weight them down. Ymir looked back up at Krista to see the girl's blond bangs clinging to her rosy face.

"How can you see past that?" Ymir gave a glare.

"That's a hazard. What if a titan came in swinging and your eyes were covered with all that hair?" Ymir shook her head at Krista's stupidity.

"I-I'm sorry," Krista wasn't what else to say. She felt pain in her stomach for being incompetent and having Ymir constantly chide her.

"Here," Ymir reached to the back of her head, undoing her hair clip.

"Unlike you, I make sure my bangs don't get in my face like a sheepdog." She growled with a slight blush. It was only apparent what Ymir was trying to do until after.  
Krista's bangs were put in a dorky little top pony, making her like a small child. Krista could only guess how ridiculous it looked.

"Now you can see. Let's go, Krista." Ymir's voice was stoic, but Krista could tell the gentleness in her action. She was trying to be sweet—Ymir sweet. She didn't like to show it too often, but it came out every now and then.

"Tha-thank you, Ymir," Krista gave a choked laugh at Ymir's failed attempt at being sweet. Ymir didn't have the courage to look back and see Krista's thankful face.  
"Whatever. I'm only doing it to make sure you don't get us killed." She glowered. Krista took Ymir's hand as they walked to the trunk of the tree in search for the best routes to make their escape.

_…_

_Ymir-sama…where had she gone?_

_Brother began to regurgitate the humans from before._

_She said she had the package, the girl, but where did she go with her?_

_Siblings slowly walked around the trees, glancing up in them to find Ymir and the girl._

_She had lied. She used those humans as a way to get out of her deal._

_The titan stopped and noticed the small backpack on the ground._

_Why didn't she deliver the girl? Was she siding with the humans now?_

_The titan glanced off in the direction where the scent of horses was fresh. Along the path, a dead titan was strewn across their tracks._

_Ymir had made fools of them. He would have to tell the village about it._


End file.
